Water increase for Friendswood on the way

GARRETT BRYCE

Published
6:00 pm CST, Tuesday, March 12, 2002

Support beams for a new 1 million gallon, $1.2 million water storage tower are standing at the border of Friendswood Sports Park on FM 528. The new facility will strengthen water pressure for the city's south side residents and is part of an overall goal to keep the town from running dry.

The FM 528 water tower should be complete and operational within the next year.

Also in progress is a second surface water "take point" for Friendswood, which consists of a pipe that will transport water from the Southeast Water Purification Plant on Ellington Field.

The plant draws water from the Trinity River. The efforts to gain more surface water comes from a mandate by the Gulf Coast Subsidence District that the city take 80 percent of its needs from surface sources rather than groundwater by the end of the year.

The reduced dependence on groundwater would lessen the chances of lower land elevations that lead to increased flooding. When the policy of 80 percent surface water usage came into effect, Friendswood officials were unsure if they were able to make the subsidence district's deadline.

"At that time we were not technically able to meet that 80/20 requirement," Friendswood City Manager Ron Cox said.

Cox said that with the work the city has been doing on water infrastructure, Friendswood should indeed be ready in time for the deadline. The town's new pipe may be running dry when the deadline comes due to a clog in the works with Houston's end of the deal.

"Indications are they will not make their goal," Cox said.

Houston's goal is to have a water line placed along Dixie Farm Road and Beamer Road to connect to Friendswood's boundaries and import the city's new supply of water.

Cox said that the possible delay from Houston would be worked out with the subsidence district if it affects Friendswood's deadline for the 80/20 policy on surface water.

He said Houston's projections given to Friendswood put the completion of the water line sometime in the spring of 2003.